Boy’s desire to help friend with cancer inspires race fundraiser

Landon Parish, 5, is shown in a recent family photo.

Submitted photo

By Andy FillmoreCorrespondent

Published: Sunday, March 24, 2013 at 8:03 p.m.

Last Modified: Sunday, March 24, 2013 at 8:03 p.m.

Aidan Benefield insisted on a special nightly prayer all last year for his preschool classmate Landon Parish. The boys, both 5, attended First United Methodist Church of Ocala preschool until Landon became too ill.

Facts

If you go

What: Love for Landon 5K

When: Registration 7 a.m.; 5-K begins at 7:45 a.m.

Saturday, April 6

Where: Marion Technical Institute, 1614 E. Fort King St., Ocala

Cost: $18-$20 in advance; $20-$25 day of event

Register: www.active.com, keyword Love for Landon

Contact: 396-0217

Landon is the son of Sarah Parish, a Munroe Regional Medical Center Pediatric Emergency Department nurse and Ocala Police Department Officer Dale Parish. Landon was diagnosed April 5, 2012, with a rare form of cancer that first manifested as a urinary tract infection.

“Aidan’s spirit and faith drew me to help Landon,” said Kristy Benefield, Aidan’s mother, who is event director for a Love for Landon 5K on April 6. Proceeds from the race are intended to help offset mounting medical and travel expenses incurred by Landon’s family.

Multiple surgeries and treatments at Shands Hospital for Children at the University of Florida soon followed the boy’s diagnosis of alveolar rhabdomya sarcoma cancer. Dale Parish said the experience has been “gut wrenching.”

“One day everything is OK and the next you’re being told that your 4-year-old son has a tumor the size of a grapefruit in his abdomen and now is diagnosed with stage-four cancer,” he said.

Since April, Landon has undergone three surgeries and four blood transfusions. He soon will complete a roughly year-long series of chemotherapy treatments.

“The cancer started in the abdominal wall. He had never been ill, not even an ear ache,” Sarah Parish said. “One of the surgeries was to remove about one third of his bladder.”

Landon’s maternal grandmother, Linda Taylor, said he likes to play with his brother Wyatt, 3, but “tires easily.”

“When Landon completes his chemotherapy the doctors will make a decision on radiation for spots on his lungs. Chemotherapy has reduced the number and size of the spots remaining,” she said.

Meanwhile, Landon also enjoys playing with his dogs Roxy and Fuzz, and is an avid stock car racing fan, fisherman and baseball-player. He is especially keen on Police Legos.

“Landon enjoyed making a big helicopter out of Legos recently,” Sarah Parish said.

When asked what he wants to be when he grows up, Landon said: “I want to be a knight in armor; with a sword to get the bad guys.”

Sarah Parish said Landon is “doing really well now” while Dale Parish said “things are looking great” for his son.

“We’re all hoping and praying Landon will overcome this and lead a long and healthy life,” Taylor said, adding that the family “can’t thank everyone enough.”

<p>Aidan Benefield insisted on a special nightly prayer all last year for his preschool classmate Landon Parish. The boys, both 5, attended First United Methodist Church of Ocala preschool until Landon became too ill.</p><p>Landon is the son of Sarah Parish, a Munroe Regional Medical Center Pediatric Emergency Department nurse and Ocala Police Department Officer Dale Parish. Landon was diagnosed April 5, 2012, with a rare form of cancer that first manifested as a urinary tract infection.</p><p>“Aidan's spirit and faith drew me to help Landon,” said Kristy Benefield, Aidan's mother, who is event director for a Love for Landon 5K on April 6. Proceeds from the race are intended to help offset mounting medical and travel expenses incurred by Landon's family.</p><p>Multiple surgeries and treatments at Shands Hospital for Children at the University of Florida soon followed the boy's diagnosis of alveolar rhabdomya sarcoma cancer. Dale Parish said the experience has been “gut wrenching.”</p><p>“One day everything is OK and the next you're being told that your 4-year-old son has a tumor the size of a grapefruit in his abdomen and now is diagnosed with stage-four cancer,” he said.</p><p>Since April, Landon has undergone three surgeries and four blood transfusions. He soon will complete a roughly year-long series of chemotherapy treatments. </p><p>“The cancer started in the abdominal wall. He had never been ill, not even an ear ache,” Sarah Parish said. “One of the surgeries was to remove about one third of his bladder.”</p><p>Landon's maternal grandmother, Linda Taylor, said he likes to play with his brother Wyatt, 3, but “tires easily.”</p><p>“When Landon completes his chemotherapy the doctors will make a decision on radiation for spots on his lungs. Chemotherapy has reduced the number and size of the spots remaining,” she said.</p><p>Meanwhile, Landon also enjoys playing with his dogs Roxy and Fuzz, and is an avid stock car racing fan, fisherman and baseball-player. He is especially keen on Police Legos.</p><p>“Landon enjoyed making a big helicopter out of Legos recently,” Sarah Parish said.</p><p>When asked what he wants to be when he grows up, Landon said: “I want to be a knight in armor; with a sword to get the bad guys.”</p><p>Sarah Parish said Landon is “doing really well now” while Dale Parish said “things are looking great” for his son.</p><p>“We're all hoping and praying Landon will overcome this and lead a long and healthy life,” Taylor said, adding that the family “can't thank everyone enough.”</p>